Analyzing changes in help-seeking from mental and physical health professionals during COVID-19 in Japan.

Japan witnessed the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in March - May 2020. We examined whether the impact of COVID-19 on people seeking help from mental and physical health professionals varied with changes in employment (from full-time employment to unemployment or leave of absence) and psychological predisposition to new-type depression (Interpersonal Sensitivity [IS]/Privileged Self [PS]) associated with the pandemic. An online survey was conducted in June 2020 (after the outbreak of COVID-19) among people who were full-time employees as of April 2019.

Risk factors of hikikomori among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective online survey.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has forced people to restrict their outings. In Japan, self-restraint behavior (SRB) has been requested by the government, and some of those decreasing their outings may shift to pathological social withdrawal; hikikomori. The purpose of this study was to examine the risk factors of hikikomori conducting an online prospective survey.

Perceptions of traditional and modern types of depression: A cross-cultural vignette survey comparing Japanese and American undergraduate students.

Aim: Depression is a heterogeneous disorder that has various subtypes. In Japan, however, a prevailing misunderstanding is that the term utsu-byo (clinical depression) indicates only the melancholic type. Consequently, a subtype called 'modern-type depression' (MTD), which has contrasting features to those of melancholic or traditional-type depression (TTD), is severely stigmatized in Japan these days.

[Development of the Interpersonal Sensitivity/Privileged Self Scale: The measurement of a psychological characteristic related to “Modern-type Depression”].

We developed the Interpersonal Sensitivity/Privileged Self Scale (IPS) to measure personality traits related to “modern-type depression,” and assessed its validity and reliability through three surveys completed by 804 undergraduates. Factors for validity were examined by confirmatory factor analysis. As predicted, the scale comprised two superordinate factors: interpersonal sensitivity (IS) and privileged self (PS).

A comparison of perceptions of 'modern-type' and melancholic depression in Japan.

Background: In Japan, psychiatrists have noted two different types of depression, traditional/melancholic depression and 'modern-type' depression (MTD). Although both the modern and the traditional types of depression overlap in regard to symptoms, these are two distinct syndromes, which can lead to confusion for Japanese people.

Aims: This study aims to examine impressions of two types of depression using vignettes and clarify the differences in perceptions of the two types.